“USA 🇺🇸 ~Nevada’s Eldorado Canyon’s Nelson’s Ghost Town and Techatticup Mine and The Vegas Strip, Baby!”

• January 5, 2023
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

We enjoyed our outing, today, very much!

First stop was to visit an old Ghost Town. I just love these places and look for them, around; wherever we park The Whale.

Nelson’s Ghost Town and Techatticup Mine ⬇️

In the heart of Eldorado Canyon, just east of Nelson, and within a hours drive from Las Vegas, lies the Techatticup Mine. It’s a popular destination for photographers and adventurers,
with thousands of movie and photoshoots to its name, and leftover props as eye candy.
In its heyday, this mine pumped out millions of dollars in gold, silver, and copper, making it the richest and most famous in southern Nevada.

Owners, Tony and Bobbie Werly, first took notice of the old mining camp while retrieving canoes for their Colorado River canoe rental business.
In 1994, the Werlys purchased 50 acres that included several mining claims, a store, a stamp mill, a bunkhouse, and a few tin miner cabins. Since then, the couple have been restoring the area, even opening up the Techatticup Mine for tours.

Though the area has become a popular tourist destination, Tony emphasizes to visitors that this is authentic Nevada history. “We remind people that this isn’t Disneyland,” Tony says.

But to truly grasp the significance of Eldorado Canyon and the Techatticup Mine, a look back at the origins is necessary.
Like much of southern Nevada, the region owes its roots to the Ancestral Puebloans. After the Puebloans, Paiute and Mojave tribes inhabited the area, relatively uninterrupted before the Spanish—in their conquest for gold—descended upon the canyon in the 1700s.
After founding a small settlement at the mouth of the Colorado River, referred to as Eldorado—the Spanish commenced mining in the area, but found mostly silver before deeming the area unproductive and moving on.
Nearly 75 years later, the area would be visited by prospectors employing different methods, which allowed them to uncover the gold that had eluded the Spanish.
The finds remained relatively secret until 1858, when steamboats began making their way up the Colorado River, causing whispers of gold to swell into a full-fledged mining boom.
By 1861, miners had discovered the Salvage Vein, which led to the formation of the Techatticup Mine; a part of one of the earliest and richest mining districts in pre-Nevada.
The Techatticup Mine remained active until the mid-1940s, yielding millions of dollars in precious metals during its productive years.
The name Techatticup, derived from two Paiute words meaning “hungry” and “bread,” as many Paiutes in the surrounding barren hills are reported to have frequented the mining camps begging for food.
Because of Eldorado Canyon’s remoteness, vigilantism became the law of the land. According to Tony, even murder was not a heinous enough crime to warrant the involvement of the law. “In the 1870s, the nearest sheriff lived in Pioche, which was 200 miles north,” Tony says. “It took him a week to get there, so not even a killing was a good enough reason for him to come.”
The isolated canyon soon became a haven for Civil War deserters, and gunfights became commonplace. An ownership and labor dispute over the Techatticup Mine only fueled the fire. At one point, gunfights and killings in the canyon became an almost daily occurrence where even lawmen skirted the disputes. A military post was eventually established to protect steamboat traffic and to deter local Indians who were raiding the canyon.

Now that the happenings that earned Eldorado Canyon its notorious reputation are no longer a daily occurrence, it has become a popular Hollywood set. The canyon has been a filming location for several movies and television shows including the 2001 crime film “3,000 Miles to Graceland” and—more recently—the National Geographic Channel’s “Brain Games.”

On the Mine side of the Road ⬇️

⬆️ Movie set plane crash from 3,000 Miles to Graceland

There are guided tours available for underground, into one of the oldest and most famous gold mines in Southern Nevada. 

The Werlys also operate a the museum/gift shop near the mine, which holds an eclectic collection of historical items from the area.

⬆️ In the 1920s, nearby Nelson’s Landing, a port on the Colorado River which lies at the mouth of Eldorado Canyon, became one of the most important ports on the river. Because prohibition skyrocketed illegal moonshine prices in neighboring Arizona, the landing allowed for brisk and lucrative trading of illegal spirits between states.
Preliminary work on the Hoover Dam also made Nelson’s Landing an attractive place for surveyors to operate small boats, and, after the dam’s completion, acted as a popular destination for fisherman and tourists.
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⬆️ ⬇️ We got back in Rusty and drove about five miles further down the road.
On our way to the ghost town, we had entered Nelson Hills/El Dorado Canyon Recreational Area. The hills here, have a very similar look to “The Alabama Hills” in California (below Mount Whitney) where most of the old Hollywood westerns were filmed. 

Reaching the dead end, in a short time, at Mohave Lake, we had entered Lake Mead Recreation Area. ⬇️

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The day was young still, and it was so pretty out, we decided to hit the Vegas Strip, while the sun shined, before we ended our day.
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Las Vegas Fun Facts

• More than 41 million people visit Las Vegas each year.

• McCarran International Airport is the seventh busiest airport in the United States and North America.

• Over 22,000 conventions are held in Las Vegas every year.

• At 1,149 feet, the Stratosphere is the tallest observation tower in the United States and the second tallest free-standing structure west of the Mississippi River.

• Legalization of gambling in 1931 encouraged other parts of the country to request the recall of Nevada’s statehood. Today there are forms of legalized gambling in 48 of the 50 states.

• With its millions of lights, Las Vegas is considered the brightest spot on Earth.

• Las Vegas is home to more than half of the 20 largest hotels in the world.

• There are more than 150 casinos and at least 150,000 hotel/motel rooms in the Las Vegas valley area.

• Downtown’s Golden Gate is the oldest continuously operating hotel and casino in Las Vegas; it opened in 1906 as Hotel Nevada.

• Las Vegas, often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States,

I have nothing but fond memories of visiting Vegas, over the last thirty plus years! Back in the day, we could get 99 dollar RT plane fare; from Portland to Las Vegas, and have 24 hours to play. No hotel costs involved, and while certain casinos sponsored the plane specials, and they preferred you ONLY gambled at their establishment, with all the people, that was easy to skirt around. 24 hours always went so fast, and sleeping on the plane back home, was quite expected! 
I’ve come to Vegas on several girl weekends, having non-stop fun, because I have very fun friends! Another time, I met my daughter in Vegas, when she was stationed at Camp Pendleton and had a long weekend off.
I’ve enjoyed fine dining at the top of the Stratosphere, and I’ve played the Crap tables, Roulette, and held my own at the poker tables. But, my favorite are the slots ~”Jacks Or Better.” True story: I was playing at Circus Circus and got a Royal Flush! I cashed out for $1000. I went down the street aways and since it was super hot, outside, crossed the street and went into the Wynn. I enjoyed the a/c and a cold drink, and found another Slot. Within 10 minutes, I hit another Royal Flush and cashed out another $1000. I noticed when I got up and left, two suits followed me for about 20 minutes. That was strange, and I lost them in the Flamingo. Ha! I think they thought I was cheating or something.
On many occasions, I’ve enjoyed going to the myriad of shows Vegas has to offer. I’ve never seen a bad show: I’ve been to Cirque du Soleil, for three different shows, Thunder Down Under, Donny and Marie (the real ones), and the Kings Tournament (jousting). I saw a great “ALL STARS” show with look/sound alike singers. What a performance that was, and of course I’ve been to magic shows a time or two.
There was one trip in 2003, where I ALMOST went to see the Siegfried and Roy show, but last minute changed my mind and picked something else. BIG MISTAKE, because only one week later, the show ended, when the Tiger attacked Roy. (So sad)

Las Vegas is so much more than gambling and drinking, though there are plenty of both; including free drinks, but walking the strip is one of my all time favorite past times when there. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes! The “timed shows” are free to watch from the sidewalk. There is “The Volcano,” The Bellagio Water Feature  Show,” (my fav), and the “Treasure Island Pirate Ship!”
There are real Flamingos and there used to be live Tigers to see. Just wander all around the many casinos to see what’s to see. It’s NEVER dull in Vegas!

⬆️ ⬇️ Now we head down Wedding Chapel Row. I don’t think any of the chapels were open, as I think that’s a night thing. Daryls mom got married in one of the chapels here, many, many years ago.

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At this point, we headed home, which is only about seven miles away. We will come back another time, to see a few sites, play some slots, and see a show!

By the way, on this day, it was Monday, following the New Year Weekend. As we were driving in in to Las Vegas, this was traffic LEAVING Vegas ⬇️